Muroff to become just third person to hold position in Foundation’s more than 45-year-long history
The board of directors of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has selected Jessica Muroff as its next president and CEO, effective Jan. 20, 2026, the nonprofit announced this week.
“Our board of directors is thrilled for Jessica to bring her exceptional background and expertise to this role at the Community Foundation,” said Paul Hudson, Community Foundation board chair, who has been serving as interim CEO, in a news release. “For 45 years, our foundation has worked to achieve a united community through maintaining our role as a trusted philanthropic partner,” Hudson continued in the release. “As a seasoned CEO and strategic decision-maker who understands our generational approach to community investments, Jessica will build on our successes, carrying forward our mission of achieving impact through philanthropy,” he added.
“Muroff succeeds Roxie Jerde, whose 14-year tenure as president and CEO concluded with retirement on June 30,” the release notes.
“Muroff has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic and business sectors,” the release points out. For the past six years, she has led United Way Suncoast, “one of the largest United Ways in Florida,” which serves five counties in West Central Florida with a team of 63 people, the release says. In that position, it continues, Muroff led a comprehensive transformation of the organization that made community impact a priority through a modern approach to grant-making and collaborative initiatives, as well as the creation of partnerships “grounded in data, while stewarding $51 million in fiscal assets, including a notable unsolicited donation of $20 million by the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott,” the release adds.
“It is an honor to have been selected to lead this extraordinary organization and steward the charitable wishes of the generous people of this community,” said Muroff in the release. “The culture of compassion, integrity and quality within the Foundation is unmistakable, and the community’s commitment to a brighter future is deeply inspiring. I look forward to building on the Community Foundation’s many strengths and partnerships while working alongside our community to develop innovative solutions to the region’s ever-evolving challenges,” she added.
“Muroff was selected after an extensive national search conducted by Kittleman, a Chicago-based executive recruitment firm that specializes in nonprofit leadership, the release points out.
“Board Chair Hudson said that the Community Foundation’s strategic framework, which is based on long-term and responsive efforts to invest in families, dovetails with Muroff’s work leading initiatives related to education, economic mobility and overall community well-being,” the release continues.
“Jessica’s career has been grounded in community and strong values,” Hudson said in the release. “Her expertise, connections throughout the region and reputation for innovation position Jessica well to usher our foundation into an era of new possibilities.”
Over the past 15 years, the release notes, the Community Foundation has grown its assets under management from $190 million in charitable dollars to more than $600 million. The amount is forecast to double to more than $1 billion over the next decade, the release adds. “Muroff will be charged with developing and executing an ambitious and innovative plan to drive these efforts,” the release points out.
“We are fortunately grounded in our mission and core values that will sustain the growth and expand the impact of our foundation,” Hudson said in the release. “We are in an excellent position to welcome Jessica and ensure the success we envision. Through thoughtful board guidance, as well as adherence to our strategic vision, Jessica will carry on our key initiatives and lead our organization into a new era,” Hudson added in the release.
“Muroff will be the third leader of the Community Foundation, which was established in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council to connect donors with nonprofit organizations,” the release notes. “Jerde was preceded by Stewart Stearns,” who led the Foundation from 1988 to 2010.
“Muroff is a nationally recognized leader within the United Way,” the release explains. Over the past six years, she has “led the redevelopment of United Way Suncoast’s investment approach, shifting from short-term funding cycles to longer-term, systems-level partnerships that drive measurable improvements in community well-being,” the release says. “She also reoriented the organization’s strategy to be rooted in data — ensuring charitable dollars are invested with clarity of focus and transparency in results, demonstrating thoughtful stewardship of every contribution,” the release points out.
Notably, it continues, Muroff has been “a partner of the Community Foundation over the years, collaborating on disaster recovery, capacity building of nonprofits and advocating for support of regional resources that enable the nonprofit community to serve the region.”
Before joining United Way Suncoast, Muroff served as CEO of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and in the same role with Frameworks of Tampa Bay, “a social and emotional learning nonprofit organization serving youth,” the release says. “She also has a deep background in business development, recruiting, marketing and communications. Muroff is a member of the University of South Florida’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy and the CEO Council of Tampa Bay,” it adds. Further, she is a graduate of Leadership Florida.
Muroff also has been recognized by Florida Trend as one of Florida’s most influential business leaders, the release says.
Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $542 million to area nonprofit organizations in the community, “thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses.” For more information, visit cfsarasota.org or call 941-955-3000.